Stratham feline appears free of giant worm

STRATHAM — Gingerbread the cat is worm free for now, but the cause of his illness remains a mystery.

"We are not really sure what the situation is with him," Sheila Ryan, development and marketing director for the New Hampshire SPCA, said. "It is a bit of an anomaly as well as a bit of a mystery."

It was suspected the 7-year-old feline had been invaded by a rare parasitic infection called a giant kidney worm when ova, or worm eggs, showed up in his urine.

He was taken to Angell Medical Center in Boston for further evaluation and possible surgery last week. Ryan said the hospital ran a bunch of tests, including blood work and an ultrasound, which did not detect the worm in his kidney.

By GRETYL MACALASTER

STRATHAM — Gingerbread the cat is worm free for now, but the cause of his illness remains a mystery.

"We are not really sure what the situation is with him," Sheila Ryan, development and marketing director for the New Hampshire SPCA, said. "It is a bit of an anomaly as well as a bit of a mystery."

It was suspected the 7-year-old feline had been invaded by a rare parasitic infection called a giant kidney worm when ova, or worm eggs, showed up in his urine.

He was taken to Angell Medical Center in Boston for further evaluation and possible surgery last week. Ryan said the hospital ran a bunch of tests, including blood work and an ultrasound, which did not detect the worm in his kidney.

"They couldn't find it. We are not sure if it passed or what happened," Ryan said.

Because the results were inconclusive, Gingerbread did not have to undergo surgery. Angell recommended putting him on antibiotics and to continue testing him for worms.

Ryan said although he appears to be responding to the protocol and is gaining some weight, he is still exhibiting symptoms of renal failure, the fear of which led the agency to test him in the first place.

"We are hoping the antibiotics will stop the progression of the renal failure ... we are doing everything we can," Ryan said. "We really will have more information about what his progress is going to be when he is finished with the couple of weeks of antibiotics."

The giant kidney worm is generally found in minks, not in cats or dogs.

Angell Medical Center took on the case as a potential teaching opportunity because it is so rare to find in a cat.

Ryan said they are taking a "wait and see" approach right now and Gingerbread is not up for adoption as of yet because he is in treatment.

"Depending on how he progresses, he may end up going to foster care or he may stay with us. It depends on how things are going for him," Ryan said.